ABOUT ROOTS COFFEE LOUNGE
Roots Coffee Lounge CIC is a not-for-profit community cafe based at The Landmark Centre in Pleasley, Mansfield. We serve 500+ customers a week, and every penny of surplus we generate goes back into the community through our parent charity, Landmark Community Foundation.
We are a training cafe with real purpose. We employ young people with additional needs as valued members of our regular team, and we welcome work experience placements from schools, colleges, and Landmark Community Foundation programmes. Working here means being part of something that genuinely matters.
THE ROLE
We are looking for an experienced, warm, and capable Front of House Manager to lead our customer-facing operation. You will be responsible for the day-to-day management of all front of house functions - covering customer experience, team supervision, rota management, stock ordering, and compliance.
You will work in close partnership with our Kitchen Manager and jointly line manage our Senior Lounge Assistants in a genuinely collaborative leadership model.
Coffee is not a footnote at Roots. It is central to who we are. We use our own speciality roasted blend and we hold ourselves to a genuinely high standard. Every shot matters. Every cup matters. We are not a chain and we do not operate like one. What we serve reflects what we care about, and we care about getting it right every single time.
This means we need a Front of House Manager who truly understands the craft. Someone who understands extraction, who can dial in a grinder and adjust throughout service as conditions change, who can taste the difference and act on it, and who can bring the whole team with them. Strong, confident, passionate barista skills are non-negotiable. The ability to train others to the same standard is equally so.
Supporting young people with additional needs is not a secondary responsibility here. It is a core part of what we do and central to the mission of Roots. The right candidate will bring patience, adaptability, and a genuine commitment to inclusion alongside their hospitality management experience.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
Customer Experience
- Manage the day-to-day front of house operation, ensuring an exceptional experience for every customer
- Maintain high service standards across the team, setting a positive example on the floor at all times
- Resolve customer complaints promptly and professionally
- Develop strategies to attract new customers and retain existing ones, including community engagement and promotions
Coffee and Drinks Quality
- Bring genuine passion for speciality coffee and maintain consistently high standards across the whole team, because quality is the baseline, not the exception
- Demonstrate full command of the espresso process including grind adjustment, dose, extraction, and consistency throughout the day as temperature, humidity and bean resting all shift
- Dial in the grinder at the start of each shift and make ongoing adjustments through service to maintain shot quality
- Train new and existing team members in all aspects of espresso preparation and drinks service, from first principles to confident independent working
- Monitor drinks quality throughout every service, identifying and correcting issues before they reach the customer
- Maintain, clean, and carry out basic troubleshooting on all coffee equipment, ensuring everything is service-ready at all times
- Stay current with speciality coffee trends and work with the team to continually develop the drinks offer
Team Management and Training
- Prepare and manage the full weekly rota for all Senior Lounge Assistants and Lounge Assistants
- Train, supervise and develop the whole team across all front of house functions including barista and drinks skills
- Jointly line manage all lounge assistants, including regular supervision and appraisals
- Support young people with additional needs on shift, adapting your approach to individual requirements
- Coordinate and oversee work experience placements in the front of house
Operations and Compliance
- Manage cash and payment systems in line with company procedures
- Oversee front of house stock management and ordering, including cakes and sweet treats from suppliers
- Maintain all required front of house compliance records including temperature logs and allergen information
- Ensure all lounge assistants understand and apply allergen procedures for beverages and front of house food items
- Take ownership of front of house income and costs, understanding what drives them, where the opportunities are, and how daily decisions affect the bottom line
- Read and understand a basic profit and loss report, or demonstrate a genuine willingness to learn. This role carries real commercial responsibility and we need someone who embraces that
- Use sales data and customer feedback to make informed decisions about the drinks offer, staffing levels, and front of house spend.
Pay: £13.73 per hour
Benefits:
- Discounted or free food
- Employee discount
- Flexible schedule
- Free parking
- On-site parking
Experience:
- Barista: 2 years (required)
Work Location: In person
